Former Top CFB Recruits Running Out of Chances Ahead of 2026 Season
We all love a good comeback story, don't we? Well, college football always has its share. There are a few upperclassmen heading into the 2026 season who need one if they're ever going to salvage anything out of their once-promising careers.
From a handful of defensive players to a trio of quarterbacks once expected to be the next big thing, college football is full of guys preparing for one last shot in '26.
Some of them are still at big-time programs, while others have moved to a lower level to try to get on the field. A couple of players have seen their careers alternate between the two.
While many are primed for potential key roles in '26, others still have work to do to carve out roles in the depth chart. So, it's really looking dire for those guys.
To make this list, you've got to be either a junior or senior who was once a top-40 prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Here are some guys who are on their final chances.
Adepoju "PJ" Adebawore, Oklahoma Sooners Edge
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It would be a mistake to say Adepoju "PJ" Adebawore's career at Oklahoma was a failure, but it has been a big disappointment. He'd probably agree with that, too.
Heading into his final season, though, the 6'4", 261-pound rising senior has a major opportunity to prove that it wasn't a mistake for OU to bank on his former No. 12 prospect ranking from the '22 recruiting class.
Credit Adebawore for sticking it out, and with Marvin Jones Jr. and R Mason Thomas out of eligibility, he could factor into the Sooners' rotation in a big way in '26. It's possible he could even start, which would be a big deal considering he's played in 36 career games but started just once.
With just 27 tackles and five sacks over his career, there have been glimmers of brilliance but nothing resembling consistency. Coach Brent Venables' team certainly could use Adebawore to be a veteran presence who has a late breakout season.
He could be a big part of things this year.
Jeremiah Alexander, Clemson Tigers Linebacker
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It takes a lot for Dabo Swinney to grab a transfer portal prospect, but Jeremiah Alexander is entering his second season at Clemson after leaving Alabama.
He could blossom into a big playmaker for the Tigers this year alongside Sammy Brown Jr. With Wade Woodaz gone and Luke Ferrelli leaving for Ole Miss after spending just a few days at Clemson after transferring from Cal, the Tigers desperately need depth.
Alexander could fill the role. At 6'2", 230 pounds, he looks the part, but he was a former 5-star edge-rusher who committed to the Crimson Tide and never really panned out in Tuscaloosa. Last year, he registered 36 tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery, essentially playing a new position.
"Now he's year two in the system. So we have high hopes for him, high expectations, we need him to be a great player for us," Swinney told SI.com's Angelo Feliberty.
Alexander was once the No. 18-ranked overall player and the top-rated edge-rusher in the '22 class, and while his career hasn't gone as planned, he is going to have the chance to end on a high note.
Jackson Arnold, UNLV Runnin' Rebels Quarterback
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Toward the end of his true freshman season at Oklahoma, Jackson Arnold started to show flashes of his immense potential as Dillon Gabriel turned the page to Oregon.
Unfortunately for the former 5-star signal-caller, he's never really been able to develop into what everybody expected he'd be. Now, after getting benched twice in the past two years for two separate programs, he's on the move again to resurrect his career.
Arnold will play the '26 season for coach Dan Mullen at UNLV, hoping that a clean slate away from the SEC – where he's played for OU and Auburn – will be good for him.
On the surface, completing 63 percent of his passes for 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions while rushing for 887 yards and 13 touchdowns doesn't look half-bad. But that's over three seasons.
None of the offenses Arnold has led have ever been explosive. Now, he'll inherit a Runnin' Rebels team hopeful to post big numbers in the Mountain West. Arnold needs a huge season if an NFL team is going to give him a shot.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, South Carolina Gamecocks Defensive Lineman
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At 6'3", 311 pounds, Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy always has looked the part, but he's hoping to finish his career as more than just a depth piece.
Like a few guys on this list, Brownlow-Dindy has made a couple of stops throughout his college career, going to Texas A&M as the No. 17-ranked overall player and a 5-star player from Lakeland, Florida, who committed to Jimbo Fisher.
But after struggling to find the field in College Station, he moved on to Columbia, South Carolina, where he was a key piece to the Gamecocks' defensive line in '25. He started just one game but played in 12, finishing with 18 tackles and a tackle for loss.
Brownlow-Dindy has a future behind the pulpit as a preacher, but right now, he's focused on another season for the Gamecocks that he can potentially parlay into an NFL career.
As a redshirt senior, this is his final year to perhaps break into the starting rotation for an SEC team and stay there.
CJ Hicks, South Florida Bulls Defensive End
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It's so difficult to crack the rotation at a school that just churns out top-tier recruits every year like Ohio State, but CJ Hicks stuck around in Columbus long enough to win a national championship and get a degree.
He just never could quite find a lot of playing time for the Buckeyes, despite being a former 5-star prospect who was the seventh-rated overall player in the 2022 class and the top-ranked linebacker.
Hicks is going to give it one more chance as a redshirt senior at South Florida, following Brian Hartline to his first head coaching gig. As a Bull, the 6'3", 230-pound defender will transition to edge-rusher, where he hopes to start and star in the AAC.
In 2024, during Ohio State's national championship run, Hicks recorded a career-high 22 tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, and one pass defended. In four seasons with the Buckeyes, Hicks appeared in 44 games and tallied 42 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, and a pass deflection.
Now, he'll try to transition his explosive speed to another position with one last chance to carve a pro career.
Walker Howard, Ole Miss Rebels Quarterback
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Walker Howard must really love going to school in Oxford.
After a season at home playing for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, the former No. 40-ranked overall prospect and fifth-rated quarterback in the '22 class is back with the Rebels, where he is probably going to be a depth piece, at best.
Howard originally signed with LSU but played just a season before transferring to play for Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss for a couple of years. He couldn't win the job there, though, losing out to Jaxson Dart with Austin Simmons behind him. So, he transferred down to the Ragin' Cajuns, where he actually threw 41 of his 51 college passes a year ago.
Now, with Trinidad Chambliss expected back in Oxford barring any last-minute eligibility issues, and a young corps of backups, led by future likely starter Deuce Knight, Howard is in Oxford to provide Pete Golding with a veteran presence in that room.
Anything more from Howard on the field would be unexpected.
Jaylen Mbakwe, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Wide Receiver
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When it comes to 5-star flame-outs at Alabama, there's some very good company alongside Jaylen Mbakwe.
The way former coach Nick Saban recruited, it wasn't uncommon for several former superstar recruits not to live up to expectations or crack the depth chart. There's just always a ton of talent cycling through Tuscaloosa.
Mbakwe was once a 5-star cornerback and the second-rated player at his position in the 2024 class, so while he's one of just a couple juniors on this list, he's here because of his new position at Georgia Tech, where he'll transfer to play his final two seasons.
The dynamo showed explosive ability with the ball in his hands as a receiver at times in practice after moving to the position before the '24 bowl game, but he couldn't get in the rotation. Now, he'll stick on offense for coach Brent Keys and could be a major weapon for new quarterback Alberto Mendoza.
Mbakwe has as much star potential as anybody on this list. With a couple of seasons left, he's got the chance for big things.
Malachi Nelson, Syracuse Orange Quarterback
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Few former 5-star quarterbacks have experienced a road as long and windy as Malachi Nelson, who will be playing at his fourth school in as many years in 2026.
Whether or not he ever makes a collegiate splash after everybody being excited about his potential as the nation's No. 12-rated overall player and fifth-ranked quarterback in the loaded '23 class who signed with USC remains to be seen.
Nelson has a long way to go, though, if he does.
The local kid didn't do anything as a freshman with the Trojans. It was clear early on that he wouldn't be a factor going forward, so he left for Boise State. After losing the competition to Maddux Madsen, Nelson left again, this time for UTEP.
A season ago for the Miners, Nelson actually, finally played, completing 55 percent of his passes for 1,163 yards, eight touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Nelson lost his job, and he's now at Syracuse, where he won't play over Steve Angeli.
With two years left, though, maybe he learns the system. If he can stay and wait his turn, he could have a chance next year.
Zach Rice, Syracuse Orange Offensive Lineman
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Syracuse must be becoming a place for resurrected dreams, as coach Fran Brown banks on former elite potential that hasn't translated into any collegiate production.
That was the case with both Kyle McCord and Steve Angeli at quarterback. They both made waves. We've already talked about Malachi Nelson's reformation project, and entering year two as a member of the Orange, offensive lineman Zach Rice hopes to carve out a role, too.
Rice was once a top-shelf recruit, the No. 13-ranked overall recruit and the top-rated offensive tackle in the 2022 class who was part of a loaded group of commits for North Carolina and former coach Mack Brown.
He appeared in 27 games in Chapel Hill, mostly on special teams. After transferring in-conference to Syracuse last year, he saw action in just a couple of games and will now be a redshirt senior guard who is trying to salvage what's left of his career.
The 6'5", 320-pound lineman needs to be in the mix this year for the Orange if he's going to do that.
Hykeem Williams, Colorado Buffaloes Wide Receiver
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Once upon a time, Hykeem Williams was the nation's No. 23-ranked overall prospect and fourth-rated wide receiver who looked like he'd terrorize defenses for a Florida State program that was surging.
Much like Williams, though, the Seminoles never really took off after the '23 season under Mike Norvell, and the future is at best murky.
For the 6'2" Williams, he's searching for greener pastures at Colorado, but entering his second and final season under coach Deion Sanders in Boulder, he's looking for the first real, meaningful playing time in the Big 12.
He never really developed, and if he doesn't have an impact on the Buffaloes in the '26 season, Williams never will. Last year, he caught just nine passes for 81 yards, even on a Colorado team desperately needing playmakers.
Has he grown up or developed any? That remains to be seen. If not, it's going to be a career that didn't turn out the way anyone expected.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
